Snow. Is there a more fitting research topic for those of us living in Minnesota? This week, I am recycling a lesson that I first posted several years ago because it gave students an opportunity to research a topic that effects their everyday life here in the Minnesota winters. Plus it gave us a chance to read a favorite Caldecott Award winning book!
We began by reading the book Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. Snowflake Bentley is the true story of Wilson Bentley, famous for being one of the first men to "micro" photograph snowflakes. His camera was considered a new technology of it's day, and he used it to find and share new information with the world! Much of what we know today about the formation of snowflakes was first discovered by Wilson Bentley before 1930!
We began by reading the book Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. Snowflake Bentley is the true story of Wilson Bentley, famous for being one of the first men to "micro" photograph snowflakes. His camera was considered a new technology of it's day, and he used it to find and share new information with the world! Much of what we know today about the formation of snowflakes was first discovered by Wilson Bentley before 1930!
After reading Snowflake Bentley, we did further fact finding using a variety of resources. Student read the MyOn digital eBook Flakes and Flurries: A Book About Snow.
Students used the tools in MyOn to highlight, make notes and use the dictionary to look up terms. Being able to interact with the text seemed to solidify their new knowledge about snowflakes!
We watched a few videos about the formation of snowflakes.
After gathering background from our sources, 3rd graders brainstormed a list of all of the facts they gathered on a Padlet wall.
Finally, using the Snow Creator App, students were able to create six sided unique snowflakes.
Once students heard that it is unlikely for snowflakes to be alike, a few students wanted to challenge that assertion! They were sooooo cloosssssseeee!
